The FINAL RESET
by ArtMun
Summary: When the RESETS seem to take their toll on Sans, a strange skele-woman named Nameless approaches him with a theory of how to end them once and for all. As Sans, Nameless, Frisk and Papyrus dive in deeper to the solution…there appears to be far more secrets behind the GAME than what is on the surface and even below the mysteries behind. Now, it must be asked . . . what is R E A L ?
1. ERROR

**_FOOOOOM!_**

The world around started to crumble; the ground shook and quaked, and the sky filled with endless streams of red CODE. The SAVE POINT grew more luminescent by each passing moment, and blinding streams of rainbow illustrated the vacuum-sucking power it had on the world, spiraling rapidly into the SAVE POINT in a chaotic whirlwind.

Frisk tried with all their might to push back against the fur-coated hands that were overflowing with buttercup flowers. They stared up in absolute horror at the melting face before them. What was once familiar and comforting now contained an abstract and twisting grin of the demon that comes when people call its name.

 _*Eat this, my child; it will make you nice and strong!_ The words were familiar-but the voice was something built out of the best nightmare that any mind could hands persisted, but Frisk kept their mouth clamped shut and determination high as buttercup petals were jammed against their face and lips.

 _*SANS!_

The eloquent voice screamed at the top of her lungs, and weed vines creaked and groaned as they stretched against the struggling of a company of monsters.

 _*Sans! Take the_ _ **BLOODY SHOT**_ _!_  
Sans' gaze darted between the illuminating light swirling before him, his friends-no, his family-entangled in the vicious and thorny vines, and up at the Gaster-Blaster that was ready to fire at his command. His arm shook violently against the vine, forcing it to stay up with his aim; his bones rattled, and he could feel decimals starting to count down agonizingly on his HP.

 _*SANS!_

 _What if he missed?_

* _SANS_!

 _What if he hit either her or them?_

 _*Sans,_ _ **DO IT**_ _!_

Sans' teeth grit and grounded, he took aim, and clamped his eye sockets shut.

 **ERR: ERR-**

 **malfunction: SYSTEM RESET in  
5 . . .4 . . .3 . . .2 . . .1-**

 **ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR**


	2. N A M E L E S S

NAMELESS decided upon two things: One, the human child, Frisk, was foolish. Two, the stumpy skeleton, Sans, was also foolish.  
She watched Sans kill the human countless times now; bones impale through flesh, blood splatter, the SOUL cracks; rinse and repeat.

She has also seen it vise-versa. Silence, a stare down, sleep, dodge, the knife strikes, he leaves for Grillby's; rinse and repeat.

How pointless. All of it was pointless.

The skeletoness crossed her legs and stared on, hidden, with a blank observation. No changes were made, aside from Sans' one-sided conversation topics, and a mild Chara possession here-and-there, or a retake of body by Frisk (hence the useless and random MERCY option selections).

What could be gained from all of this? Nothing, as far as Nameless could see. Which guided her to the conclusion that there was no logic anymore in it. Frisk could RESET whenever they saw fit; Sans had given up long ago. Or so he says.

This also lead to a second conclusion. Sans' HP was, and always remained, at 1.

HP, of course, was an acronym, meaning a word that could bring light to any dark tunnel:

 **H** o **P** e.

 **How so very, very, pointless.**

?￢ﾘﾠ?￢ﾘﾜ ❄✌ ? ❄ ■ ● ⬧ ⧫

 **RESET?  
❤Yes ✘No**

 **RESET #107:**

 **67 Genocide Runs 40 Pacifist Runs**

 _*FRISK WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT! I'LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION! NYEH HEH HEH!_

 _*Papyrus, WAIT!_

Papyrus was long gone before anyone could stop the skeleton when he bolted down the dirt path and chanted his **"NYEH-HEH-HEH"** excitedly. The group of monsters and the single human stared as he had gone, and the elder brother let out a small sigh.

*welp. someone's gotta keep him from getting into trouble. Sans offered a small wink as he stepped back and turned around. _*_ see you guys.

And with that, he too was off. To the other direction. He could hear Undyne shouting her usual spiel and run after Papyrus, with Alphys following closely behind.

Sans walked slowly, and his footsteps quietly tapped against the dirt.

Did they really think he hadn't noticed?

It was on the 90th RESET Sans noticed something was different. . .

He was being watched.

It wasn't only him, however, Frisk was being watched too; it seemed as though everyone were being watched, but himself and the runt were of a particular interest. Seventeen times, no matter what path was taken, they were there; standing idly in the distance. How the kid never saw them was beyond the skeleton. This stalker had followed their every move perfectly, without a single missed step.

Just like how they were doing . . . **right now**.

 _*. . . alright. quit hiding; i know you've been following me. Frisk, too._ Sans couldn't keep his socket from flaring to its edgy blue, and he cast a glare at the figure that stood leaning against the mountain's rock. _*so if you have a point you're trying to make, you'd better get to it quick; 'cause i'm starting to get sick of this game._

There was a long silence . . .

A thick wisp of tobacco slipped from a sigh and through the air, and at last they stepped forward.

 _*. . . Well, I'll just skip the formalities._

It was a woman. A skeleton, just like Sans. She was tall and thin, like Papyrus (maybe even a bit taller), and at the collar of her rolled long-sleeved shirt was a neat and trim ascot tie, a silver cross was clipped to it. The woman said nothing at first, and only circled around Sans like a hawk observing its prey. Except in this case, her gaze was absolutely blank; apathetic. There was something about this woman that seemed familiar...not only from her face alone (and the absence of a nose), but it was also the way she stared at Sans. It was familiar to a point where it was almost eerie. She observed for a moment longer, finishing off with a brief glance at the luminescent blue in his left socket, and the small wisps that trailed from it. Finally, she broke her silence. *. . . I was once an associate with W.D. Gaster, he was a...mentor of mine, or rather I was; it went both ways, you could say. Does the name sound familiar?

 _*what? you take me for an idiot or something? 'course i know who Gaster is. how could i_ _ **not**_ _?_

The woman only chuckled (though she didn't smile) and slowly shook her head before taking a small drag from her cigar.

 _*How well did you know him?_

What was she getting at?

 _*i...he...he was my dad. didn't you just say you were skipping the formalities?_

 _*I did. I never said my name. I am N.R Gaster; his twin sister. You may refer to me as simply 'Nameless'. There. Now you may question whether or not I skipped formalities. Which, technically, I had, and hadn't at the same time. Seeing as I had skipped introducing myself at first, and later on returned to the subject—_

 _*y-yeah, okay, okay, i got it._

It took Sans a moment to process what she had just said. Gaster had...a twin? Not only was that on a different level of weird, it was unbelievable. However... That could explain why Sans received a hauntingly familiar vibe from her. The clear difference was that, unlike Gaster, Nameless didn't have any cracks in her skull. That might've been the only way it could be figured of who was who.

If this Nameless wore the same attire Gaster did right now; at a quick glance Sans would have thought he was staring straight at a ghost. Not to mention...

Sans could recognize that smartass commentary in a heartbeat.

 _*so...what do you want? any particular reason you're following me around, or did you just wanna say 'hi'?_

 _*. . .You want them to stop, don't you?_

 _*. . . uh, you'll have to be a little more specific—_

 ***❄ ?￢ﾘﾜ❄** **?. ?￢ﾖﾡ ■□⧫ ⧫** **& ❍ ⬧ □□●? ?￢ﾙﾋ■⬧** **. ✌■ ✋ &■□⬥ ❖ ❒⍓ ⬥ ●●? ⬧ ⬧⧫ ❒? ⧫ ⧫ ⍓□◆ ❒ ■□ □□●? ⧫ ❒.(The RESETS. Do not take me as a fool, Sans. And I know very well, as did Gaster, that you are no fool, either.)**

It was then, as soon as he heard the strange language he and Papyrus grew up hearing...he knew this woman meant business. The two exchanged glances, and the silence was, admittedly, making Sans a tad uncomfortable. Finally, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before speaking.

 ***?￢ﾖﾡ** **. . . ⍓□◆❼❒ ■□⧫ & ■❼ ❻ □◆⧫ ●● ⧫ ⬧. ✋ □■❼⧫ ❒ ❍ ❍ ❒ ⬧ ■ ⍓□◆ ❒□◆■ ⧫ ● ⬧ □❒ ? ⧫ □◆ . ✌■ ⬧⧫ ❒ ■ ❖ ❒ ❍ ■⧫ □■ ⍓□◆? ⧫ ❒. . .(So...you're not kiddin' 'bout all this. I don't remember seeing you around the labs before, though. And Gaster never mentioned you, either...)**

 ***✋❼ ⌧◻ ⧫ ⧫ ⬧ ❍◆ ? □■⬧ ❒ ■ ⧫ ❒ ◆❍⬧⧫ ■ ⬧.(I'd expect this much, considering the circumstances.)**

 ***. . . ?￢ﾙﾏ ■ ■** **. . ✍(...Meaning..?)**

 ***?￢ﾙﾓ⧫ ⬧⧫ ❒❼⬧ ⧫ ❍** **. . . □❍◻● ⧫ □■⬧. ✌ ●□⧫ □ □❍◻● ⧫ □■⬧. ✋ ✋ ❍◆⬧⧫ □■ ⬧⧫? ⬧ ❖ ❒⍓ ⧫ ⬧ ⬧ ■ ●. (With Gaster's death came...complications. A lot of complications. If I must be honest, his very death is a scandal.)**

 ***✡ . . . ⧫ ⧫ ■❼⧫ ❒ ●●⍓ ⌧◻● ■ ■⍓⧫ ■ . (Yeah...that didn't really explain anything.)**

Nameless sighed, impatiently, and crossed her arms. She held her cigar in her fingers and shifted her weight to her other leg (which had a gun holstered at the hip). Her gaze fell down to Sans, and the top of her left socket rose at him.

 _*That will be explained...but at another time. I will however say this..._ She paused. _*Gaster and I were the head of a secret division for a new discovery that had taken place in...what was recent events. This investigation was entirely top secret, as well as who was in the task force. It was something King Asgore was, and still is, absolutely ignorant about. This discovery, if you haven't figured it out by now...involved the RESET and SAVE options in this world's coding. Originally, there were ten of us in this investigation, including Gaster and myself..._ Nameless took a long drag of her cigarette , and exhaled a long-tailed single wisp. _*Now, I am all that's left. Gaster did consider putting you into the program, of course; but then he died._

 _*wait, wait, wait. . . ._ _ **coding**_ _?_ The gears in his head kicked into action, swiftly shifting to the scientific analysis he'd begun to forget.

 _*Correct. This world, its very being, all of it; everything is hardwired. Carefully, intelligently; following the same patterns and systems as but one thing…_

Then it clicked. Cue the lightbulb, exclamation point, the whole spielt. It was strange...it almost made Sans want to laugh. Which he did, for a moment. In slow, low, and dry chuckles. _*heh...this...this all really_ _ **is**_ _just one big game, isn't it?_

 _*You don't sound very surprised._

 _*eh. guess i'm not, if i gotta be honest with ya. but...still. i've just got one question for ya…_

 _*Oh..? I suppose this is only natural. Please, inquire._

 _*. . . why're you telling me all of this?_

A long silence had fallen once more. Nameless stared at the skeleton with a questioning look (probably the most expression Sans has seen on her face so far).

 _*And here I thought you were supposed to be the smart one between you and your brother._

Sans grit his teeth upon hearing those words, and once again his socket flared blue. He shot dagger-for-sockets at Nameless, and she blankly stared back.

 _*You really ought to keep better control of that eye of yours; you'll drain your energy at this rate if you keep allowing for it to fire-up like that. Now, considering your question. . ._ She crossed her arms and her left socket raised at Sans. _*-You shouldn't ask questions you know the answer to, it's not polite. As of now, there are two others besides yourself that I know of that are aware of the resets-with good intentions in mind, and are not possessed by a greater being._  
 _*_ _ **possessed**_ _?_

 _*All will be explained...in time._

Sans slowly slipped his hands into his jacket pockets, and the two stared at one another in absolute silence. But their gazes tore away at the same time when a familiar feeling rose up in the two. Nameless slowly stepped to the side and took a final breath from her cigar as the sun set. She turned to look at Sans. _*Meet me at Grillby's when you wake. I'll be waiting for you, Sans C. Gaster._

 **RESET?  
❤Yes ✘No**

 **RESET #108:**

 **67 Genocide Runs 41 Neutral/Pacifist Runs**

?￢ﾘﾠ?￢ﾘﾜ ❄✌ ? ❄ ■ ● ⬧ ⧫

Sans' eyes blazed to life as the aftershock of the RESET hit him. Magic blazed in the cavity of his skull, itching to be used. His hands reached up and grasped both sides of his skull. The magic slowly receded at the action, returning to its passive state. His ribcage expanded to imitate a sigh.

The warm embrace of his bed was almost too much for Sans to resist. His bones rattled as he shed the blankets, and with them, any chance to change his mind on the matter. _*grillby's, huh? geez, you're not gonna let me say no easily._

Not bothering to check, he grabbed a random shirt and slid it over his frame. The shirt bulged slightly around his gut. He briefly debated whether he should bother with sneakers but ultimately decided on his trusty slippers. It didn't really matter anyways. His choices were predetermined.

He took a shortcut. One of his favorites.

Once his slippers made contact with the creaky wooden floors, Sans could feel those emotionless eyes on him. They dug into him, analyzing every facet of his soul. She was sitting in a booth, facing the door and looking directly at him. The Skeleton woman stood out against the battered cushions, and the air of authority she had was still present; even with the ratty hoodie and sweatpants. If she had been trying to look menacing, it was severely diminished by the fact she was squirming against the sticky chair.

Her fingers were gripping a coffee mug as if it were her lifeline. Her eyes were dim, and exhaustion seemed to fill the air around her. Sans slid into the seat across from her. _*come here often?_

 _*Is that truly necessary?_

 _*hey, i gotta open with something._ Sans turned his head to see Grillby preparing to take their order. _*i'll just have the usual._

 _*Coffee; black, please._ Nameless rubbed her forehead. _*Of all the people to remember it had to be the one person who'd never try to do something about it. Every time, you just 'go along with it'; it's foolish. You're better than that, and we both know it._

Sans picked up the ketchup bottle and popped open the cap. _*heh, if it ain't broke don't fix it. He drank some of the ketchup._

Nameless scoffed and her face twisted in distaste. _*'Not broken', is that what you call this? Our entire reality is crumbling under the weight of these resets._ There are holes, and they're only growing, Grillby arrived, setting down a burger for Sans and new cup for Nameless. Sans thanked the fire elemental, but not before noticing the strange look he gave Nameless. She briefly glanced in Grillby's direction before locking her gaze back on Sans.

 _*so what? they're convenient when you need them._

Nameless narrowed her eyes. _*Can you really say that the fabric of reality is less important than getting somewhere quicker?_

The short skeleton raised his burger to his ever present grin. _*you act like the world did you a favor. i don't see the point in wasting energy fixing the unfixable. whatever made us had to know we were doomed._

 _*So you'll just simply give up on the world because of your personal worldview._ Nameless' voice was neutral, but Sans wasn't an idiot. And she clearly knew it. She knew that he knew exactly what she was talking about.

His eyes went dark. _* no matter what we do, we'll always end up right back at the beginning. THEY don't care, THEY just love to see what we'll do next. befriend us or not, they will end up at the judgement hall… and it'll reset all over again. i've watched my brother die 67 times. who knows, maybe this'll be 68._

Nameless leaned forward in her seat towards Sans' way, and her eyes narrowed again at him. Her expression seemed to grow more cold, but there was no denying the DETERMINATION it held _. *Then help me before you lose him again. Help me break us all free from these RESETS. I have been researching this conundrum for quite some time now, and I think I have found a solution. But I can't do it alone. I need your help; truthfully I would prefer to keep you and your brother out of this whole situation, but the fact remains that the RESETS are highly complex in code, and there is also the matter of that demon—_

Sans interrupted Nameless when he bursted into laughter, causing a few monsters to stir. Nameless slowly leant back against the booth as Sans' eyes briefly flickered in and out of blue. _*i don't even know how you expect me to trust you. gaster would've mentioned if we had family, and shouldn't you have raised papyrus and i?_

Nameless' eye twitched, and she stared at Sans silently for a long time. _*I was… engaged, elsewhere._

His sockets blackened as his gaze sharply turned up at Nameless. _*science comes before family, right?_

Nameless' fist clenched against the table, and her magic blazed to life in her eye sockets as she shot up to her feet. Purple flashed in the room and the few monsters present all turned their attention to the pair of Skeletons. _*Don't you dare make an attempt twist the circumstances. If I could go back and fix everything before it had even begun, I would. Which is why you have to listen to me._ Nameless' jaw clenched a little, and her sockets narrowed tightly down at the smaller skeleton as her magic edged a bit brighter. _*You and your brother...you two were the only thing keeping me from truly going insane in that bloody place. Her eyes' glow diminished slightly and her tone grew colder than ever; slick and blackened._

 _*Do you truly think you are the only one to suffer, being aware of these RESETS? I have watched you and your brother die in bloody murder many times; I have relived your father's accident every night. Every time you make it to the surface, I had to watch as your happiness was ripped away and you're all put back here, doomed to repeat everything over and over. How could I approach you? How could I; before I was certain you wouldn't lose the memory of what was needed to be discussed, of what needs to be fixed. It would all have been for not, if it were the case._

Sans' eye blazed to life at Nameless' words, and grew brighter in defense as her tone started to strain and voice began to rise. The bartender set down the glass he was cleaning and began to move towards the pair. _*grillbz, i got this_. Sans extended a hand, and magic wrapped around Nameless' soul before sending himself and her outside. He made sure to have his magic hold her in place to prevent her from making a move. _*look, i don't know what you've been through; but i can't just trust someone right off the bat like that. you gotta at least understand that._

Nameless stared at Sans silently once again, and, much to his surprise, she slowly took a (albeit strained and trembling against the magic) step forward towards him. She continued to make her slow strides, her left eye edging back to its bright (nearly pink) glow, and the right shifting to a bright blue. Just like Sans' eye. _*I am not asking you to 'trust me'..._ She stated. Her words were slow, and were growing a dangerous and stressed edge to them. _*-I am asking you to_ _ **help**_ _me._

Sans started to slowly back away from Nameless as she edged towards him. She towered over the skeleton and continued to walk in his direction even when he was tripping over his backtraces. _*I am sure that you do not need to be informed of what happens when something has too many holes in it. It starts to tear; rip; fall apart. Until there are no pieces to tear off whatsoever. So tell me, Sans Comic Gaster..._

Sans felt his back press against the wall, and Nameless at this point was close enough where the flare of her magic reflected off of his face. He stared up at her, the shadows from the magic's light heavily casted on Nameless' face and only seemed to make her more intimidating than she already was.

 _*...if you don't think we should act now, then, pray tell; when shall we intervene? When do you think it's appropriate to say something is broken? Because, as far as I can see, this world is already very very broken..._ She sighed and shook her head with a grimace. _*'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'...don't make me laugh._

The two skeletons stared at one another in absolute silence. For a moment, Sans actually did think of a comeback. He tried to think of something he could bark back at with, or at least something to get this woman off his case; but... The more Sans thought about it, the more he couldn't find himself able to ignore the inevitable if something wasn't done to fix it. He had tried, he really did. Spending countless hours on end to understand the RESETS that were suddenly occurring; but like every RESET, it all would start over, and his research would vanish. All of the progress, all of the effort, it would vanish without a trace. It would leave Sans screaming out of frustration into his pillow for hours.

It wasn't until the twentieth RESET did he start to care less. When Sans opened his eyes, he heaved a sigh, stared at the ceiling for a moment before rolling out of bed to scrawl down everything he had in his memory before he forgot. RESET thirty-five; Wake up, stare at ceiling, lie down for a few extra hours, get up. RESET forty; Wake up, stare at the ceiling, close his eyes and go back to sleep.

He gave up a long time ago.

 _*Sans._

Sans' gaze slowly turned up towards Nameless' way. Maybe an extra hand was something that he needed... Someone else to carry the load, help pick up the pace...

Nameless slowly knelt down in front of Sans, and the two met eye-to eye. Or socket-to-socket rather. She hesitated, and slowly reached out to rest her hands on the other's shoulders. _*Sans, please... If you've lost all hope for yourself, then what about Papyrus..? Undyne? Toriel? All of them...they deserve their happiness, do they not? Are you truly going to give up on them..?_

Sans weighed the options in his head. Continue on with no progress and let his family suffer in the Underground until the game crumbled. Or... _*so 'auntie', what exactly did you have in mind?_ He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting but Nameless simply wiping away a few stray tears was not what he thought she'd do. The skeleton woman brushed herself off and tried compose herself. Sans rubbed the back of his skull, releasing the grip he had on her soul. _*ah..and-and listen, if you do anything that might hurt papyrus… you're on your own. don't think i won't have my eye on you._

Her eyes seemed to gleam with… something. Hope? Maybe. _*Thank you, Sans. I'm… not certain what came over me back there. I hope you can forgive me for that. Now then, come with me._

 _*...uh..?_

Sans glanced between the wall behind himself and Nameless as she began to briskly walk along the snow. The smaller skeleton trailed after the taller one, and he struggled to keep up with her. Swift footsteps crunched against the snow, and Sans had occasionally lost a slipper in it while keeping up with Nameless. The path they were taking was no secret. They were heading to the walkway that stretched just beyond the towering door to the ruins. The meeting point.

 _*any reason we're heading to this place? they won't be here for a while yet, you know._

 _*I am aware of that._

 _*then why are we-_

 _*Sit. We have a lot to discuss._

The two skeletons sat down on the cold snow, facing one another. Again, silence fell; though it was more of an awkward silence than anything else this time.

 _*soo...did you hear about the italian chef..?_

 _*Don't do it._

 _*he pasta way._

 _*Sans. Please. You're diverting the subject._ Nameless adjusted her jacket and let out a quiet sigh. Her expression turned thoughtful, and her sockets narrowed slightly. She looked back up at Sans. _*The first thing that needs to be taken care of is your sense of misconception._

 _*misconception? what're you getting at now-_

 _*Do not interrupt me._ Nameless scolded, her voice quickly becoming icy once again. _*Your lack of consideration and desire to look deeper into the situation has caused enough damage as is. Especially towards the human._

When Sans cast Nameless a look mixed with confusion and slight befuddlement, she inhaled deeply, closed her sockets, and sighed.

 _*The human's actions upon the first Genocide Run was theirs. At first. And, as one would imagine, they began to regret their actions and had planned on putting everything to a halt and RESET. But...something happened._ Nameless' expression hardened, and she stared down at the snow. Sans could see the gears turning and twisting painfully in her mind, as if she were working on solving ten different equations at once. And she very well could have been.

 _*I'm not quite sure how to put it...mostly because I'm not even sure how it happened myself, if I must be frank. But that is why we are waiting. She paused. *Frisk is...as I have said before, under possession. By a demon. Over time, this demon had grown stronger in both DETERMINATION and with its hold on Frisk. Each Genocide Run, every murder...it was them. Not Frisk._ Nameless ignored Sans' expression as it shifted to horror with every word she had spoken, searched her pockets, and pulled out a cigar. With a small flick of the finger, a small flame was set ablaze on the end of it. She silently lit the cigar after settling it on her mouth and took in a very long drag _. *Consider the circumstance like this:_ she exhaled a long wisp, and it slowly changed from its deep soot grey to a bright red, taking shape of a HUMAN SOUL.

 _*—here, we have Frisk's soul. When they first arrived, it was pure, untouched. But once the bond was made with the demon; they didn't stand a chance._ She made a small hand motion, and one of the straggling wisps of smoke took shape of chains as it blackened. They snapped tightly around the mock HUMAN SOUL and slowly began to squeeze. _*Frisk's DETERMINATION can last only so long; especially since she is still, we must not forget, a little one. This grip will continue to tighten and absorb all of Frisk's energy until, at last,_

The HUMAN SOUL bursted, and the illusions slowly evaporated.

 _*...There is no DETERMINATION left for it to feed off of. So the one you were truly putting through your… 'judgement' was in fact not Frisk. Most of the time. Those random acts of MERCY of course belonged to them but...well, we both know how those end._ She eyed Sans carefully, keeping a close watch on his left socket as his magic continuously flickered on and off. His breathing was starting to heave, and his gaze was locked on the snow. _*You were not wrong, however. Frisk_ _ **is**_ _guilty of something, but...I think we can both agree that punishment never suits the victim._

Sans slowly clenched his fists against the snow. He couldn't get himself to stop shaking, even if he tried-which he did. _*i shoulda...i could've…_

 _*Abusers, like the demon, shall distribute their wrath upon the weak; like Frisk, like me, like Gaster...and like you. These abusers are insufficiently punished for the damage they do. Your own pain, Sans, is a reflection of your failure to act earlier and lack of perception._ Nameless' expression hardened, but only the slightest. _*That, Sans...is why we are here, waiting. That is why you still have much to learn…_

 _*...what 'demon' are you talking about..?_ Sans' voice was low and quivering. Upon having all of the information he had just heard suddenly dumped on him at once; it was enough to make anyone sit there on their hands and knees shaking as vigorously as a jello in the middle of an earthquake. He felt sick, and his stomach churned and twisted into a tight and hot stress-induced knot. Maybe going to eat at Grillby's before this conversation wasn't the best idea.

The ironic part in all of this? Sans wasn't even sure if what Nameless was telling him was even true. But...there was something about the way she spoke. Maybe it was either because her speech pattern reminded him all too well of Gaster, or quite simply the stone-cold nature of her tone; it had a certain truthful ring to it. Not just any regular truths, either; as in the cold real-world version of the truth. And, all things considered…

This truth was about as cold and twisted as it could get.

 _*I am speaking of the first fallen human. You recall the name "Chara", I believe?_

 _*didn't they die from some illness or whatever?_

 _*Quite wrong, but also correct. There is much more to it than that._ Nameless frowned deeply and she thought for a moment. _*I'm...not quite sure why it is, or how Chara became this way, but...it cannot be argued no matter how it is looked at that they despise their own kind. So much so they would be willing to hurt another to exact their own punishment on their race. A few days before Gaster had died, I had expressed my concerns about the human to him. I never trusted Chara as the others had-there was just...something about them...something that I couldn't quite pinpoint; but it was there. I couldn't find myself to trust them. And it wasn't simply because they were human, either. Honestly, I had always found the humans to be rather fascinating. But that is not the point._ Nameless inhaled another long drag, and small wisps and clouds of smoke began to circulate around her. A new wisp would escape now and then when she would mutter something under her breath; calculating; recalling. _*On the day of the accident, Gaster and I were leaving the labs and were making a start to the castle. We had planned on, as he put it, "having a calm and thoughtful chat" with Chara; to learn the truth. And then…_

Now it was starting to come together. _*then the accident happened. chara...they set up the whole thing._ Sans' sockets had widened upon realization; he could practically feel the mental puzzle pieces coming together.

 _*It was an elaborate plan._ _ **Brilliant**_ _, if I must be honest. Chara was and still is a_ _ **very**_ _intelligent human, considering their age is still technically that of a child's._ Nameless sighed heavily, and a thick cloud shifted through the cold air. _*There also lies the biggest problem. Intelligence is a path away from ignorance. But, if a child already has such a mindset...then their immaturity will become either the downfall of themself or those around them. Chara is nothing short of this circumstance. And as long as Frisk is attached to them...it is very likely they will die from drainage of DETERMINATION. And that would leave Chara with complete control of both Frisk's body and SOUL; which would not bode well for anyone._

 _*so what do we do? how do we split the two up? there's gotta be a way to do that, right?_

 _*Obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have waited this long to do this._ Nameless stated. _*It'll be tricky, but manageable. It just simply all depends on who is in control this time around. If it is Frisk that shakes your hand, then we should have a limited amount of problems._

 _*and if it's chara?_

 _*Then we wait until the next RESET. And the next, if we must. But let's hope that we have a second pacifist rout in a row…_ Nameless stood up from her spot and turned up her hood. She turned on her heels and started her way towards the gate.

 _*...I plan on making this our LAST RESET._


	3. L O V E

_(Self-harm trigger warning; the content is contained/referenced in this chapter)_

The crunch of snow underfoot, the icy sting of the magic atmosphere,looming darkness surrounding him. He'd been here a hundred times before. If Nameless' plan worked, this would be the final time he stood there. Would he miss it? The waiting? Wanting to see if a murderer would walk out and destroy everything he loved? Wondering if THEY would spare them?

 _No._

No, he had to believe that Frisk would walk out of the Ruins. Frisk was fighting Chara's influence. They were DETERMINED to save them all. They would save them all, Frisk had done it before and would do it again. They were a… good kid.

One hand raised to rub his temple while the other desperately gripped his emergency ketchup bottle. Memories of when he first approached the Human, watching them travel through the Underground, watching them make new friends and struggle. He remembered why he'd first taken a shine to them. He'd been overjoyed when the kid had set them free.

THAT was Frisk. He had to remind himself that even when they'd first killed everyone, they'd been terrified. They trembled when the knife hit bone. Hesitation followed by cold DETERMINATION, they acted completely different in every Genocide Route after that. Frisk had looked right through him while they fought the first time. Their dodging was sloppy, sometimes they'd walked right into an attack. They were still determined to destroy him then. And they'd succeeded.

Dying was very … strange.

But the next Timeline they'd been their usual self. A bit more sullen but they'd waited to RESET for a while afterwards. The whole thing seemed like a bad dream. He wasn't sure when they RESET. That Timeline was a bit fuzzy. He remembered being very content then. After that it'd gone downhill. Timelines where they refused to give mercy happened far more often than the more peaceful ones.

A snapping sound startled him out of his thoughts. His eyes blazed with magic. Frisk wasn't heavy enough to break the stick that laid on the path to Papyrus' Gate. * **who's there?**

Wind whistled through the trees around his station.

He shook his head. * **just nerves.** He drank some more ketchup, watching the trees around him.

Distorted words echoed through his skull. It felt like radio static, shattering the silence of the forest. * _?￢ﾜﾋ❄❄✋_ _?￢ﾜﾋ ✌_ _? ﾟﾑﾍ_ _? ﾟﾏﾱ ✋_ _?￢ﾘﾟ ❄ ✋_ _? ?￢ﾜﾌ_ _? ﾟﾓﾬ❄ ✋❄❄ ✋_ _? ✌ ✌?￢ﾜﾡ_ _?￢ﾜﾌ_ _?￢ﾝﾄ ❄ ✋_ _? ?￢ﾘﾜ ❄✋_ ** _(Sitting here will accomplish nothing, Sans. The little one has already progressed past this meeting.)_**

The red condiment bottle burst, splattering gooey sauce over the sentry station. Rattling bones echoed through the clearing as Sans tried to calm himself. * ** _dad?_** The static faded, leaving Sans alone. Silence settled around him, only the sound of the wind accompanied him.

He stood. *that's it. i'm going home. no amount of programming or crazy demons is going to make me sit here and listen to a dead man. He glared at the shadows,but nothing happened. Turning on his heel, the short skeleton stormed off towards Snowdin. As he walked, he noticed the Puzzles had all been completed. * **huh, surprised pap isn't on me to re-calibrate those.**

As he arrived in Snowdin he noticed that the monsters there seemed a bit more lively than they were when he left that morning. Chalking it up to them actually being awake, he took the shortcut to his house. A non-world shattering one. Inside he could hear Papyrus running about. He pushed open the door to see Papyrus running across the room. * **hey bro, going somewhere?**

Papyrus froze, grinning at the older skeleton. * **SANS! YOU ARE JUST IN TIME TO MEET MY DATE!**

Sans blinked. Last he checked the _only_ person that Papyrus ever dated was… * **uh, date?**

Soft footsteps exited the kitchen, drawing Sans' eyes toward the movement. His eye sockets went dark as they zeroed in on the figure. A short human wearing a purple striped sweater offered the small skeleton a weak smile. Their clothing was rumpled as though they'd been through a pretty bad fight, a small bandage hung off their cheek confirming that image.

* **SANS, HUMAN. HUMAN, SANS.** The tall skeleton puffed out his ribcage, his cape fluttering in the nonexistent wind. * **I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, FOUND THIS HUMAN WANDERING IN THE FOREST JUST OUTSIDE OF SNOWDIN. THEY BOLDLY MANAGED TO TRIUMPH OVER MY BRILLIANT PUZZLES, DODGING MY TRAPS, AND VALIANTLY WITHSTOOD MY FAMED BLUE ATTACK! TRULY THEY ARE GREAT ENOUGH TO DATE ME.**

Sans started to back up towards the door. Both the human and Papyrus watched him in confusion. * **uh, congrats paps. i'm just… going to head to grillby's. you two have fun.** The skeleton burst out the door, racing through the town. A few monsters watched, surprised by his speed as Sans disappeared back into the forest. They muttered among themselves about his strange behavior.

* ** _what the fuck is going on?_** **how did the kid get past me? this shouldn't be happening. why-** Sans ran headfirst into a solid object. Tripping backwards, the disoriented skeleton tumbled to the ground. He sank into the snow, unable to do much else.

A pale skull entered his vision. * **What have you and Frisk done, Sans?**

* ** _me?_** The younger skeleton glared at his aunt. * **i was relaxing at my station** ** _minding my own business_** **when suddenly i start hearing** ** _voices_** **. next thing i know, the kid skipped right past me and is on a date with papyrus.**

* **I thought this much; this is truly starting to become a problem…** Nameless frowned and stood up straight, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. * **It appears that Chara's interferences and the RESETS have made this process go much faster than I thought...the first sign of destruction is TIME SKIPS…** Her expression suddenly darkened, and her sockets narrowed thoughtfully. ***...We'll have to speed things along, if this keeps up. If Frisk has noticed something is off and is merely going along with it, then it is even more likely that Chara has noticed as well, which won't bode well for us.**

Sans felt his SOUL jolt in his chest. * **by 'speed things along', you mean..?**

* **A** ** _direct approach_** **.** Nameless straightened her posture slightly. * **The next time you see Frisk, try to engage them in a conversation. It won't be hard for you I'm sure. They trust you to honor the path they've decided on. They will not harm anyone this time seeing that everyone is accounted for already. It's unlikely Chara will interfere at this point, they will be unable to amass as much power.**

Reassured that this timeline was safe enough for Papyrus, Sans released a sigh of relief. * **and what will** ** _you_** **do?**

* **I will meet you at The End. Then we will approach Frisk about the RESETS.** Nameless slowly began to pace, placing her hands behind her back. She closed her eyes slowly, thinking. * **I think...perhaps…** Her voice trailed. * **No. On the other hand,** She took Sans by the sleeve and began to drag him along with her in her long strides. * **We're going back.** ** _Together_** **.**

Sans looked up at Nameless, sockets wide. Did he hear her correctly? Did he _really_ hear her correctly? If he did, that would mean that…

* _ **are you serious?**_

* **I am. I will go to your house and introduce myself. Once Papyrus is busy doing...I'm not quite sure what he does, but we will bring Frisk and you to my lab.**

Sans raised his hands. * **whoa whoa, you think you can just walk up to pap and say, 'i'm your long lost aunt, sorry i wasn't around. i've been locked up in a crazy home for the past hundred years. mind if i borrow your human?'**

Nameless rose a socket at Sans and slowly crossed her arms as she walked around and in front of the younger skeleton. Her silence spoke volumes.  
Sans sighed. * **well you** ** _could_** **but is that really the impression you want to give to frisk?**  
Again, silence. She turned her back to Sans and began to walk down the snowy pathway—a luminescent hand suddenly formed and grabbed Sans by the sleeve, yanking him along after Nameless. * **Don't dawdle.**

* **let the record show that i am** ** _against_** **this.** Sans murmured, making no move to remove himself from the hand's grip.  
* **I never asked you to be.** Nameless deadpanned. She glanced back at Sans for a brief moment, and rolled her eyes when he shot her a glare. She looked forward again. * **Mature. You are your father's son.**

* **heh. thanks**

* **You're welcome.** A long silence passed, and, at last, Nameless glanced back at Sans—her expression was far more serious than before, which worried him a bit. * **Tell me something...are you telling me you are against this because you do not want Papyrus to meet me yet, or is it because you are afraid to** ** _confront Frisk_** **?**

Sans took a moment to think. Normally he would try to make a joke out of the question. But… * **tori and i were gonna raise the kid. ya'know i was really excited about it. the kid and i got along great, and tori and i were, well, you know. we were gonna have a nice family. a happy ending. i don't remember much but… we were happy together. then THEY came back. i** ** _should've_** **been able to see the change in frisk, i was their dunkle. i went first, never even saw it coming...**  
Nameless grew rather quiet as Sans spoke, and if she herself wasn't lost in her own thoughts she would have noticed when her steps had halted. But she did not, and there she stood, in front of Sans—absolutely silent. The hand slowly evaporated, and—though Sans had to look quite carefully—he could see as Nameless' hand trembling as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her pack of cigars. She tapped the box thoughtfully, but remained silent. It took her a few attempts to steady herself enough to emit a small flame from her finger to light the end of the cigar, and when she took a long and silent drag from it, she sighed.  
* **...Nothing is worse than seeing the ones you care for hurt...and not even know that they are in such a state… I…** Nameless took in another drag, as though to steady herself. * **...Nevermind. We must focus on the task at hand. She turned to look at Sans. *I will wait outside of the house as you break the ice. Once that is said and done, I will come in whenever you are ready. But be aware that time IS of the essence.**

Sans stood and brushed the snow off of his jacket. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he closed the distance between him and the door of his home. He raised a bony fist and took a deep breath. Phalanges rapped against the door, summoning the skeleton's overexcited brother. * **SANS! YOU'RE BACK! WHEN YOU RAN OFF SO SUDDENLY I WAS WORRIED THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN HURT.**

Sans gave the taller skeleton a weak smile. * **nah bro, i'm still in one piece. i just wanted you to meet one of my friends. they're uh… really eager to meet you paps.**

His brother beamed. * **WELL OF COURSE, WHERE ARE THEY?**

At first, there was nothing but silence. But not too long after, Nameless slowly stepped to the door opening and cleared her throat. She glanced up at Papyrus, and offered the best smile she could manage—which wasn't that great. An effort, but not great. All she could manage was;  
* **I… it's… I haven't seen you since you were such a little thing…**

Papyrus blinked and looked between his brother and the newcomer. His confusion was obvious. * **SANS… WHO IS THIS?**

Sans breath hitched. * **paps, this is our aunt nameless. i ran into her at grillby's and she wants to reconnect with us.**

The younger skeleton-no longer the tallest- was silent for a moment. * **SANS…**

* **i get this is a lot to digest but…**

* **WHY DIDN'T YOU BRING HER HERE SOONER!? LOOK AT HER, SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE'S GONE TEN ROUNDS WITH UNDYNE- AND I SAY THAT WITH THE HIGHEST RESPECT TO YOU BOTH- I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL NOT ALLOW ONE OF MY OWN BONE AND DUST TO LEFT ON THE STREETS TO ROT!** He took the female skeleton's hand and led her inside. * **COME ALONG, YOU CAN SLEEP IN SANS' ROOM, HE HARDLY USES IT ANYWAY.**  
Papyrus' reaction was something quite unexpected in Nameless' part. However, she had suddenly sprouted a grin _(and was it...by God, GENUINE?)_ and chuckled as she patted her taller nephew's hands. * **Papyrus, although I appreciate the gesture, truly—I have a home of my own. I was just away for quite some time. However, I am pleased to see you are taking this a bit better than I expected…**

Frisk hugged Papyrus' legs, hiding from the newcomer. Nameless met their eyes and her grin faltered. After a moment, she sighed heavily and knelt down on one knee so the human and her were face-to-face. * **Afternoon, little one.** She said before looking up at Papyrus. * **Papyrus, I do have to apologize for this but may we all step outside for a moment?**  
* **it'll only be a short while.** The shorter skeleton winked at the human, sending them into a giggle fit. * ** _tibia_** **honest, i don't think it** ** _too tall an order_** **.**  
The taller skeletons groaned in pain.  
* **Sans, for the love of God,** ** _no_** **…** Nameless sighed.  
Frisk tugged on Nameless' sleeve, before signing; * **You should** ** _CHILL out_** **, no need to get** ** _HOTHEADED_** **. It** ** _SNOW_** **big deal.**  
* **i'm so proud right now.**  
* **SANS, YOU'VE CORRUPTED THE HUMAN!**  
A stony expression crossed Nameless' face, and she stared at the human for the longest time. She stood, three luminescent blue hands forming—one took Frisk by the back of their shirt and gingerly lifted them in the air, another took Sans by the hoodie and began to drag him out of the house, and a third took Papyrus by the hand and pulled him along as Nameless herself walked out of the house.  
* **It's time to go. We cannot dawdle any longer—we have far more important things to worry of.**  
* **WAIT, WHERE ARE WE GOING? IS THE HUMAN ILL?** Papyrus looked to his older brother for answers. The Eldest reacted with an uncomfortable glance directed at the aforementioned human.  
* **uhhh, i think nameless can explain it best.**  
Frisk looked up at Sans with widened eyes, their hands clutching together. They looked up at Nameless, and she stared down at them. The hand slowly set them down, and Frisk struggled to keep up with the three skeletons' strides.  
* **Perhaps it would be best... if** ** _Frisk_** **explained.**  
Frisk froze, and their eyes went wide. _How_? How could they? How could they explain what happened when they didn't quite understand it themself...? The genocides...they were all a blur every time after the first few kills. And even then...it felt as though someone were forcing their hand after the very first time.  
Sans felt the lights of his eye sockets go out. He wasn't quite comfortable talking or thinking about the darker timelines. He just couldn't understand how the child he'd helped care for in other timelines could have suddenly turned around and committed those atrocities. Even if it had only been the first time.  
* **well, kiddo. snow time like the present**  
Frisk looked over at Sans, a small whimper pitched from their throat. They slowly looked up at Papyrus, who kindly waited with a smile. Their feet slowly shifted back, and they wildly glanced between the two brothers and Nameless. Hands rose, shaking, trembling, doing everything but staying still enough for Frisk to sign anything coherent. They were _scared_. They knew what they did was wrong, they wanted so badly to go back and RESET, but something always stopped them. It hurt. God, oh God it _hurt_. Just as badly as they hurt everyone they cared for... Eventually, (it was practically plastered all over their face) they deflated and drained, and ever so slowly their head hung low. Frisk's hands stopped shaking. * **I...tried...once...** They signed.  
Papyrus could sense the human's discomfort. He patted them on the head with his free hand. * **IT IS ALRIGHT HUMAN, TAKE YOUR TIME. I'M CERTAIN IT IS A LONG STORY AND WE CANNOT HAVE YOU EXHAUSTING YOURSELF.**  
Frisk quickly shook their head. * **No, Papyrus...you don't understand...if you remembered everything that happened every time...** Their eyes watered, and they sniffled as they looked up at Papyrus with teary eyes. * **You would probably hate me, too... I guess that's very selfish of me, isn't it..?** Frisk wiped their eyes with their sleeve, but despite all efforts the tears continued to flow and only streamed faster than ever as time went on. * **If anyone deserves to be hated and have everyone be mad at...it's me...**  
The young skeleton felt his soul tug in his ribcage. He broke the grip of Nameless' magic hand to wrap the small human in a hug. Sans looked away from the scene, it reminded him too much of how Papyrus would always try to spare the human.  
* **EVEN THE WORST PERSON CAN CHANGE IF GIVEN THE CHANCE, YOU HOWEVER ARE ON A GOOD PATH. I HAVE NEVER MET SOMEONE AS GREAT AS YOU, BESIDES MYSELF. NYEH HEH. WHATEVER YOU HAVE DONE CANNOT POSSIBLY BE AS HORRIBLE AS YOU THINK.**  
It was those words that broke Frisk. They hugged onto Papyrus tightly, burying their face into his red scarf. _Oh, Papyrus..._ Frisk thought sadly, shutting their eyes tightly. _You still believe in me...but..._  
They suddenly shoved Papyrus away, and did something that the human had never done before, nor what Nameless or Sans could predict.  
 _Frisk ran._  
* ** _FRISK-_** Nameless took hold of the two brothers as the code and world around them circuited, buzzed and flashed ERROR warnings in a matter of seconds, and the sudden shift caused for the skeletons to crash into the snow.  
The lanterns in Snowdin were dimmed quite a bit, indicating a sense of nighttime, even though moments ago it was in the middle of the day.  
Nameless shot up in the snow, sockets wide. * **My God, we just went through another time-skip.** She looked down at Papyrus. * **It's a good thing I grabbed ahold of him when I had...** She sighed, relieved. * **He could have forgotten everything...** Nameless suddenly realized. Her head whipped forward, and small human shoe tracks lead out and away from the area.  
Sans brushed himself off. * **huh, normally the kid would be in facing mad now.**  
Papyrus felt his SOUL pounding against his ribcage. He'd noticed the Error message and was not entirely certain of its meaning. * **SANS, WHAT IS GOING ON?**  
The pun master froze up under his brother's scrutiny. He didn't want to be the one to explain to his brother that their entire life was a lie. That the world around them was the plaything of some greater being.  
* **look paps, it's... complicated. all i can tell you is... that kid is the secret to fixing a very big problem. nameless and i swear they'll be okay but right now, we need to find them and calm them down.**  
Papyrus' shoulders drooped for a moment before his confidence came rushing back. * **WELL I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL CALM THE HUMAN POSTHASTE! THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY IN NEED OF HUGS AND SPAGHETTI! WHICH I WILL PROVIDE.**  
The young skeleton began to stomp off.  
* **the kid went that way.**  
* _ **I KNEW THAT.**_ Papyrus blushed.  
* **Actually, I would** ** _much_** **rather prefer it if...** Nameless gingerly took Papyrus by the collar and stopped him and his tracks. She pointed to Sans. * **...** ** _you_** **, went to go get them.**  
The shorter skeleton shrunk away from the skeletoness' hand. * **look, papy never hurt the kid before. they trust him more than they trust me.**  
Papyrus crossed his arms. * **SANS, AUNTIE NAMELESS IS CORRECT. WHATEVER ISSUES YOU AND THE HUMAN HAVE MUST BE CONFRONTED BEFORE THEY CAN OPEN UP.** The scientists raised an eyebrow at him. He responded by throwing his arms in the air. * **I MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON BUT YOU'RE MY BROTHER AND I KNOW YOU BETTER THAN ANYONE! YOUR FACE WHEN YOU FIRST SAW THEM WAS PROOF YOU'D MET THEM BEFORE ON POOR TERMS! WHICH DOESN'T MAKE SENSE SINCE YOU WEREN'T AT YOUR STATION WHEN I FIRST FOUND THEM...**  
Nameless nodded a little and turned her head to look down at Sans. * **Papyrus is correct on that matter. We won't be able to get anywhere until things between you two are cleared up.** ** _Furthermore_** **...** Her expression darkened as she looked at Sans, and her sockets grew blank. * **...They believe that they have hurt everyone. Everyone but one. There was still a last one that** ** _hasn't_** **been given any LOVE...you know of which I speak...**  
Sans felt his SOUL drop. Even with the bad timelines, he was still the kid's dunkle. Turning in the direction of Frisk's footprints, he tore off to stop them from doing something too drastic.  
Nameless watched as Sans ran. A rare sight, and only one you would ever see in a matter of urgency. And this was certainly one of those times. Nameless looked down at Papyrus and patted his back gently.  
* **While we wait for Sans...how about you show me your famous pasta I've been hearing so much from everyone,**

?￢ﾘﾠ?￢ﾘﾜ ❄✌ ? ❄ ■ ● ⬧ ⧫

Calm dripping resonated through the cave system that was Waterfall, contrasting with the panicking skeleton that was picking his way through every crack and crevice for the lost human. His rib cage rattled as his body imitated erratic breathing to convey his panic. The normally calm and collected skeleton's features somehow twisted to a much more concerned look. * **kiddo? where are ya? look, i made a promised to keep you safe, even from yourself.** He heard a faint sniffle. As he turned a corner he found Frisk curled up at the foot of a worn down statue. Water dripped down onto the stone, slowly wearing it away.

* **hey, there.**  
Frisk looked up, Staring at Sans with eyes wide and in alarm. They clearly were not expecting this particular skeleton out of everyone. Their fingers curled tightly on the handle of the knife in their hand, the tip of it gingerly dripping of crimson. Their other hand was clenched just as tight, and the same crimson liquid gently flowed down their wrist and along their arm.  
The magic in Sans' eyes went out at the sight. Such a familiar sight made the kid squirm away from his gaze. * **whoa, slow down there. i ain't gonna hurt ya...** He sat down and pulled off his jacket. He held it out to the kid. * **here, you look like you're chilled to the bone. here, i think I have something ta patch ya up.** He dug around his pockets and pulled out a crushed bag of Chisps.  
Frisk grew silent for a very long time. They slowly took the jacket and Chisps from Sans and rested it on their shoulders. A small and thoughtful noise came from them, and they stared down at the ground.  
* **Why? Why are you doing this?** They signed slowly. * **After everything I did...and yet...you** ** _still_** **..?**  
Sans rubbed the back of his neck. * **geez kid, you're really pulling all the stops out on this.** He leaned against the statue and watch the water drip down. * **let's just say, I've been where you are. not so much the demon part but more the whole...** He gestured to Frisks arms. He rubbed his arm as phantom pain throbbed in his bones. * **it's more permanent if you do it to yourself. HP stand for HOPE, not sure i explained that.** He avoided looking at the kid as they both lapsed into an awkward pause.  
Frisk stared at Sans for a long time, and their eyes once again grew large. They quickly tugged at Sans' shorts, signing rapidly when he looked down at them.  
* **You** ** _know_** **? How did you figure it out? I lost all hope to try and explain it to you. I...I thought you wouldn't believe me...** Frisk's gaze returned to the ground. * **I guess I should've just tried, anyway...**  
The skeleton shrugged off their question. * **i should've made an effort to ask. neither of us are blameless. we're not to blame either. something tells me you weren't on board with killing everyone.**  
Frisk wildly shook their head, their domineer shrinking. Their hands started to tremble again, the shaking making it a bit difficult to open the Chisps bag.  
Sans noticed their struggle and gently pulled the bag from their grasp. * **here,** He tugged open the Chisps and handed the bag back. He felt his SOUL ache at the sight of the trembling human.  
* **Thank you,** Frisk signed. They quietly munched on the crispy treat, staring down at their sneakers. The human signed slowly and thoughtfully as they wrote. * **The demon...THEM...Chara...** Frisk took in a deep breath. * **I...after discovering the RESETS...I...I became curious. I feel awful about it. I was going to stop before I got to mom, but...every time I tried to press it so I could go back...something...someone grabbed my arm.** ** _'Let natural selection go through'_** **, they told me every time...**  
* **they were there from the start.** It wasn't a question. Sans nodded and watched Frisk carefully. * **what else did they tell you?**  
* **That...all those stories...about you guys...everyone down here...they weren't what they seemed... That I can't trust anybody...**  
He sensed the child's building despair. * **well everyone has secrets down here. some are easier it hide.** He raised an arm as a silent example. * **some of them are messy and dangerous. but in the end we all trust each other.**  
* **I** ** _know_** **…** Frisk ran their fingers through their unruly brown hair and sighed. * **I don't know why I listened...** They signed. * **I was so stupid. An idiot; just like Flowey always says. I should've** ** _known_** **better...** A wry smile crossed their face, and they slowly held their legs to their chest. * **I guess...you weren't wrong about one thing, though...kids like me really** ** _should_** **be burning in hell...**  
Sans flinched, seeing how those words had affected them. It had hurt to be the one to judge the kid. His eyes went dark, thinking about it. * **no... kids like you don't deserve half of what you've gone through. it' lik A, that should suffer.** ** _you_** **..? i know you've only ever wanted to help us.** He winked. * **not all humans get to say they freed an entire species, how many times again?** He tapped his chin.  
Frisk giggled silently and stared up at the cave ceiling. Their expression slowly turned into confusion, and their brows knit together. They looked at Sans. * **...I have no idea.** They finally signed.  
* **huh, maybe nameless has an idea. let's go ask her. don't worry, she doesn't bite.** The short skeleton stood and offered his hand to Frisk.  
Frisk stared up at Sans for a long time. They eventually smiled and took his hand, standing to their feet. They handed him his jacket. Frisk frowned a little, confused. * **But...I still don't understand,** Frisk signed. * ** _How_** **do you** ** _know_** **about Chara..? And why did that lady suddenly show up? I never saw her before in any of the RESETS...**  
Sans chuckled. * ** _tibia_** **honest, she's been there since day one. maybe. you may not have noticed, but she followed us around and got the whole story. she noticed the time anomalies were getting worse so she approached me. well, i approached her.** He pulled on his signature jacket. * **she's...a bit intense but she's family. she told me about chara.**  
Frisk blinked. They slowly looked down at the ground, and looked up at Sans with a questioning expression.

 ***what?**  
* **But...how did SHE find out about Chara..? Nobody** ** _ever_** **could tell the difference—** Frisk rose, and realization suddenly dawned upon the human. They quickly turned to look at Sans, brief and quiet noises emitting from their throat. They only try to speak if they need to say something very important.  
Sans flinched, * **kid, use your hands. i can't understand what you're trying to tell me here.**  
Frisk settled themself and drew in a deep breath. They finally began to sign again.  
* **I gotta tell you the difference between Chara and I. Sometimes...they like to take over and pretend to be me...to confuse you...**  
Sans shuddered at the thought. It was bad enough that Chara was using them as a vessel. Why couldn't that creature leave his family alone? * **lay it on me kiddo.**  
Frisk nodded and pointed to their lips. As the human and skeleton began to walk through the dripping caverns, the child thought for a moment. They made a few odd contortions of their face, eventually they gave up and pulled at the corners of their mouth until their lips turned into a mildly horrific 'u' shaped smile. They quickly dropped their hands, as though the memory of simply feeling the grin brought back the worst of the worst memories.

* **Chara tends to smile like that. I'm sure you noticed. I can't make my face do that, no matter how hard I try; but Chara can. And they usually can't help it, it's sorta like their resting face. If my face is twitching a lot, like as if I'm trying not to smile like that...that's Chara.**  
* ** _creepy_**.

Sans stumbled a bit at the memory of one of their many FIGHTS. The kid had started grinning as if it were Christmas time and Santa brought them everything they wanted. It had been a sharp contrast from Frisk's normally blank expression and was incredibly disturbing.  
Frisk nodded in agreement, and they shuddered as well. * **Yeah. It felt awful… My face always hurted afterwards, too.** They signed. The child grew silent for a long time, tugging at the end of their sweater. There was one final and key element to finding a difference. Though it was more subtle, that brought the worst memories.  
Sans rubbed the back of his neck. * **uh hey.**..  
* **what did the ghost say to the wall?**  
* **hey, just** ** _passing through_** **.**  
Frisk's head whipped in Sans' direction. They stared, and finally clasped their hands over their mouth. They bursted into a fit off quiet and barely audible giggles. Eventually the giggles turned into laughter, and the human child practically bursted. Frisk had to lean on the cave wall for support, their shoulders wildly shaking.  
Sans' smile looked a bit more genuine. * **nailed it.** He held out a hand. * **c'mon kiddo. i know a shortcut.**  
Frisk nodded. They suddenly lit up as they took Sans' hand. * **What does a skeleton order at a restaurant?** Frisk signed.  
Sans chuckled. * **i don't know kid, what does a skeleton order?**  
Frisk's face contorted into something of a troll face, and they squinted at Sans and poked him in the ribs.  
* ** _SPARE RIBS._**  
The skeleton's eyes sparkled with barely restrained joy. Sans snorted with laughter. * **geez kiddo, where'd you get that one?**  
* **I found it in mom's book once!**  
He blushed. * **she's really something. can't wait to see her again.**  
A long silence fell. When Sans looked at Frisk, they had shifted into their turtleneck and stared at the skeleton with playful eyes, their eyebrows wiggling.  
* **stop that.**  
* **I guess you could say you...**  
* **if you finish that sentence you're grounded.**  
Frisk pointed finger-guns at Sans. * **...love mom a** ** _LATTE_** **..!**  
Sans slapped his hand to his forehead. * **good one. but you're still grounded.**  
Frisk playfully stuck their tongue out at Sans. Their expression suddenly grew quite serious, and they stopped walking. They stared at Sans for the longest time, their expression growing rather thoughtful.

* **something on your mind kiddo?**

Frisk stared for a little longer, and their eyes began to water. They suddenly made a brief sprint, their body ramming into Sans as their arms wrapped around his middle. Frisk buried their face into Sans' jacket,sniffling as they clutched onto his sleeves.  
Sans froze at the sudden show of affection. His soul melted at the rush of emotions he felt in response. * **careful there kiddo, i'm all bones.** He wrapped his arms around them. * **but i do give top** ** _koala-ty_** **hugs.**  
Frisk nuzzled their face against Sans' belly, sniffling a bit more as they moved closer. They sniffled, looked up at Sans, and with a quivering smile signed:  
* ** _Olive_** **you, papa.**


End file.
